The Invisible Cage: Syrian Migrant Workers in Lebanon (Stanford Studies in Middle Eastern and Islamic Societies and Cultures)

Chalcraft, John

ISBN 10: 0804758263 / ISBN 13: 9780804758260

Published by Stanford University Press, 2008

Most items will be dispatched the same or the next working day. An apparently unread copy in perfect condition. Dust cover is intact with no nicks or tears. Spine has no signs of creasing. Pages are clean and not marred by notes or folds of any kind. Seller Inventory # wbs2372241907

Synopsis:

The Invisible Cage uncovers the hidden history of the cycle of labor migration and return of hundreds of thousands of un- and semi-skilled Syrian workers in Lebanon. It traces how Syrians came to comprise a significant proportion of Lebanon's workforce during the 1950s and 1960s, the ways in which these Syrians lived through Lebanon's civil wars, and their prolonged unsettlement and exile through both the reconstruction of the 1990s and instability since 2005.

Offering both social history and ethnography, John Chalcraft challenges the commonly held view that a more benign form of economic labor migration, one based on personal choice, emerged with the end of slavery and forced labor in the region. Instead, he shows how both coercion and consent, unintended consequences, and hegemonic forms influence the ongoing rotation of migrant workers. This captivating account of the labor market as 'invisible cage' breaks new ground in Middle East and migration studies alike.

About the Author: John Chalcraft is Lecturer in the History and Politics of Empire and Imperialism at the London School of Economics and Political Science. He is the author of The Striking Cabbies of Cairo and Other Stories: Crafts and Guilds in Egypt, 1863-1914 (2004).

Bibliographic Details

Title: The Invisible Cage: Syrian Migrant Workers ...
Publisher: Stanford University Press
Publication Date: 2008
Binding: Soft cover
Condition: Like New